Combined container and cover



June 30, 1959 E, s, TUPPER 2,892,540

COMBINED CONTAINER AND COVER Filed Sept. 7. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i7 iEARL s. TUPPER IN V EN TOR.

June 30, 1959 E. s. TUPPER COMBINED CONTAINER AND COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet-ZFiled Sept. 7. 1955 KOZEN IN VEN TOR.

EHBLS TUPIEZ y, ,Q MLA/ xzvamqr United States atent O COMBINED CONTAINERAND COVER Earl S. Tupper, Smithfield, R.I., assignor to TupperCorporation, North Smithfield, R.I., a corporation of DelawareApplication September 7, 1955, Serial No. 532,981

1 Claim. (Cl. 206--65) This invention relates generally to anintercommunieating compartmental package of resilient plastic materialto inclose and accommodate a plurality of containers whether underrefrigeration or not, but more specifically to a package for a pluralityof containers usable for display, transportation and storage in arefrigerator or otherwise.

The main object of the invention resides in the provision of a packageof heat and electrically insulating material for a plurality of similarcontainers which is suitable for storing in a minimum of space in arefrigerator or other storage medium, and further is suitable fortransportation purposes between the filling plant, the retailestablishment and the home. By reason of the physical properties of thematerial from which the package is formed and the structure thereof,said package is capable of preventing differential temperatures withinthe package during refrigeration thereby eliminating spoilage of thecontainer contents.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of acompartmental package of resilient plastic material especially suitablefor space-saving in transportation, storage and display of a pluralityof enclosed similar and refrigerated sealed food containers such asfruit or orange juice and the like. Moreover, the package is furthersuitable for initial packaging and refrigeration of the sealed foodcontainers at the filling plant.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of acompartmental package for a plurality of similar food containers whichserves as a multiple type canister, which is capable of repeated use andgeneral application for storing and transporting other materials whetherthey be food or otherwise.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of anintercommunicating compartmental package of a locally deformable andresilient plastic material such as polyethylene or vinyl which isprovided with a cover for purposes of hermetically sealing a pluralityof similar food containers therewithi-n and wherein means are providedwithin such package to serve as a separating wall for all the containerstherewithin to maintain spacing thereof, to allow air currents tocirculate within the package and all around the containers formaintenance of uniform temperature.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of anintercommunicating compartmental package which is aesthetic inappearance, which is advantageous to the Storekeeper for promo-tingsales of a plurality of similar food products and for saving time andexpense in wrapping and for saving space within the carrier from thefilling plant and within the refrigerated store display cases and thehome refrigerator.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of anintercommunicating compartmental package as described which is sanitary,easy to clean, safe to operate and capable of production by moldingprocesses such as compression, injection, blow and vacuum, and

Patented June 30, 1959 which is durable in use, maintains its shape, andwhich can be reused.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages of the inventionwill hereinafter appear in the progress of the disclosure and as pointedout in the appended claim.

Accompanying this specification are drawings showing preferred forms ofthe invention wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a compartmental package including acover member showing one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of Figure 1 across the plane 2-2 thereof.

Figure 3 is a compound view in perspective showing the compartrnentalpackage of Figure 1 with the cover thereof removed, and further showinga container of frozen orange juice occupying one of the compartments ofthe package and three other containers disposed outside of the package.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of Figure 1 across the plane 4-4 thereof.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective showing another type of packagewherein the cover member is provided with an additional spacing element.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of Figure 5 across the plane 66 thereof.

Figure 7 is another modified form of package containing threecompartments instead of four as shown in Figures l6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective partly in section showinga modified type of cover member for the package shown in Figures 1-6.

In accordance with the invention and in accordance with the preferredforms shown, letter A designates generally the compartmental package asshown in Figures l6, and consists of a base member 10 having as a periphcry a plurality of circular segments each in excess of degrees joinedtogether as. indicated by numerals 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d respectively.Each of these segments follows the contour of one of a plurality ofsimilar conwall sections follows and is integral with the periphery ofsaid bottom wall 10, said wall segments being indicated respectively bynumerals 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d terminating preferably at about theheight of the container B to result in an intercommunicatingcompartmental package as shown in Figures l6.

Bottom wall 10 is provided with a central and upstanding lug or spacingelement such as spherical portion 12 to serve as a check for substantialshifting of the containers B when disposed within the package to preventphysical contact. In addition to the spacing function of sphericalportion 12, it is to be noted that junction ele ments 13a, 13b, 13c, 13dbetween wall sections Ila-11d further serve to prevent line contact ofthe containers B as indicated in Figure 2.

A cover member preferably made of the same material as package A andgenerally indicated by numeral 14 is adapted to telescope over the toprim 15 of the package and is provided with a top wall 16 and aperipheral downwardly extending skirt 17 for engagement with the packagerim portion.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, cover member 16 is provided with aspherical section 18 centrally depending from the lower surface thereof,said spherical section being in alignment with the section 12 on thebottom wall 10 of the package for spacing considerations.

Figure 8 shows a different type of package cover being indicatedgenerally by numeral 19 and consists of top wall 20 and an upstanding,peripheral and inverted grooved engaging rim following the shape of theside wall of the compartmental package, said grooved rim having an inner'wall21, a top wall '22, an outer wall 23 provided with an outwardlyextending flange or offset portion 24. Hermeticalengagement betweenpackage rim- 15 and cover 19 may be effected 'by the gripping of theinner surface of outer wall 23 against the outer surface of rim portion15 of the package, and for this purpose the inner lateral dimension ofouter wall 23 should be smaller than the outer lateral dimension of thepackage rim 15 for line engagement and consequent hermetical sealing.

Cover member 19 (Figure 8) operates expeditiously in the manner as setforth in US. Patent No. 2,487,400 issued to the applicant herein onNovember 8, 1949, and provides a sealing closure which is capable ofbeing peeled off from the rim by grasping flange 24 and therebyexpanding the groove between the walls 21 and '23 for initialseparation. In applying cover 19 the same is forced over the packageportion 15 at any point and the rest of the cover is applied by slidingthumb pressure along the top wall 22 of the groove.

I It is to be observed from an inspection of Figure 2 that each of thefour containers B is disposed within the package in spaced relationshipso that each is freely exposed to air circulation with the package. Suchexposure maintains uniformity of temperature within the containers B. Ifsuch exposure were absent, temperature differentials would be set upresulting in deposition of frost on the containers and spoilage of thecontainer contents due to temperature differences. Such spoilage hasbeen a problem to filling operators, carriers and storekeepers whererefrigerated products are piled one on top of the other without accessto complete air circulation.

As shown in Figures l-6 and 8, containers B are compactly assembled inthe package A and occupy little added space when so arranged. Moreover,by reason of the vvyieldability of package A, it may be made toaccommodate itself to tight spots in a refrigerator or refrigerateddisplay case. These features also apply to refrigerated carriers.

As mentioned, the heat insulating properties of package A maintainsrefrigeration during the interval between transfer from the fillingplant to the carrier; between transfer from the carrier to therefrigerated display case of the storekeeper; and between transfer fromthe display case to the home refrigerator or freezer.

In Figure 7 is shown a package similar to that shown in Figures 1-6being designated generally by letter A, but

consists of three compartments instead of four compartments. Thecorresponding elements thereof are similar to those shown in Figures1-6, the cover member thereof being indicated generally by numeral 14 incontrast to numeral 14 in Figures 3.

The package including the cover as described is capable of being formedin shapes other than those described, the shape being dictated by thecontainer itself. Moreover, the material from which either the packageor cover or both are formed need not be locally deformable nor resilientto effectuate some of the purpose of the invention.

I Wish it understood that minor changes and variations in the shape,number of intercommunicating compartments, means of formation andlocation and material of parts may all be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

An intercommunicating compartmental refrigerable package of locallydeformable and resilient plastic material for a plurality of similarfrozen food containers, comprising a bottom wall having a peripheralshape conforming to semi-circular segments of the bottom walls of aplurality of similar containers lying adjacent to each other, anupstanding side Wall integral with said bottom Wall and having a coverengaging rim and following the periphery of said bottom wall to formtherewith communicating compartments to receive said containers inadjacent relationship, spacing means on the bottom wall to separate andprevent contact and shifting of the containers in said compartments andfor air circulation therethrough, and a removable cover memberengageable with said rim to serve as a removable seal for said package,said cover member having aligned spacing means on the underside withrespect to said spacing means on the said bottom wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,497,528 Meyers June 10, 1924 2,094,009 Goebert Sept. 28, 19372,253,273 Haycock Aug. 19, 1941 2,514,364 Bates July 11, 1950' 2,618,937Francis Nov. 25, 1952 2,729,328 Van Rossen Jan. 3, 1956

